Hello again. Wow. I cannot believe how much fun I'm having writing this story. I just started it as something to do to pass the time, but I'm really having a blast. Again, the same warnings as were posted in the previous chapter still apply. I'm really not sure whether this will contain any sort of romance, if it does I would probably make it ToboexTsume, KibaxCheza, and HigexBlue, but it still remains to be seen if any such romance will play out. Oh, and an interesting side note, I happen to be acquaintances with a certain Mona Marshall, the fantastic voice behind Toboe. Heh, small world, huh?
Give me more reviews and I'll reply to them, but for now I'll just dedicate this to a reviewer too lazy to log in. You know who you are.
Blood Brothers
Chapter 2- Hope
Toboe lived to the north of town, and since Kit lived to the south, they eventually had to go their separate ways.
"So, do you have a phone number where I can reach you?" asked Toboe. He had just bought himself a new phone and was eager to have the chance to use it to talk to his newfound friend.
"I'll see you tomorrow. If you want to get me a message before that, you can leave it at the hospital."
Toboe blinked. "Don't you have a phone I can call?"
"No," Kit said softly, looking down. Toboe fell silent, thinking hard.
"You know, I've got an extra cell back at my place. If you want, we can get it now, or I'll just give it to you at school tomorrow. You know, if you don't want to go that far out of your way right now."
Kit looked up at him, his surprise showing clearly on his face. "You really mean that? You'll actually give me your own cell phone?"
Toboe chuckled at the astonished expression on his friend's face. "Not everyone is as selfish and mean as those kids back at school," he said. "Sure I'll give you a phone. I want to be sure that I can talk to you whenever I want." He grinned. "So I'll see you tomorrow then?"
For the first time since they had met, Kit smiled.
"Sure thing."
Toboe whistled happily to himself as he walked into his apartment complex. As he neared the door, a group of familiar scents reached him.
"TSUME!" he cried out with delight as he burst through the door. Indeed, it was Tsume, and the rest of the pack as well, all stretched exhausted over ever chair or couch they could find.
"Hey runt." Tsume said, ruffling Toboe's hair.
"Stop it!" Toboe demanded, looking momentarily annoyed, but it wasn't long before he began setting into the pack with questions about their search. When the pack had reached the city and done a little digging around for information, they had learned that a pack of wolves had indeed been living in the eastern cities for some time, but when a group of hunters had arrived in search of them they had been forced to flee for their lives. The official police report of the incident was almost a legend. Toboe laughed when the pack described the wording of the report, a mix of bafflement, incredulity, and shock.
"What surprises me most," said Kiba "was that they actually reported the suspects as human looking dogs. They must have known that no one would ever believe them." He shook his head. "Anyways, the point is that no one has seen the pack since."
"So, are you going to keep going out looking for more wolves?" Toboe asked anxiously, knowing that if they did, he would have far more time to spend with his new friend and the rest of the humans.
"I don't intend to give up the search just because of one minor setback." Kiba declared, putting his arm around Cheza's shoulders. "We'll stick around here for a couple of days, and then head back out again."
Tsume grinned over at Toboe. "If you want you can come with us this time," he said. "It ought to be an easy, quick trip."
Toboe thought about it for a moment. If he told them flat out that he would rather stay back and continue going to school, they would surely suspect that something was amiss. Still, he couldn't just leave without letting Kit know, and he didn't want to take a trip that would keep him from seeing the other boy or hanging out with him. It wasn't very often anymore that the others allowed him to travel with them, but he decided that he would have to decline.
"Actually," he paused, searching quickly for the right words. "I think that I'm doing a lot more good here. There's a lot that I think I can learn from the humans, and besides, someone has to stay behind and take care of the apartment and keep the food stocks up."
Hige raised an eyebrow. "Excuses, Toboe? I had no idea that you enjoyed human company so much." Toboe flushed, and turned quickly away so they couldn't see.
"Humans are far more numerous than we are now. We've got to adapt to living in their world, not the other way around. We'll do what's necessary to survive just like we always have." Tsume's expression darkened.
"Let me guess. You've got some sort of crush on one of them, don't you?"
Toboe whirled around furiously to face him. "NO!" The rest of the pack started with surprise as he checked himself. "I just think it would be in our best interests to prepare for any eventuality."
Waiting until everyone had quieted down, Cheza finally spoke up. "This one thinks that Toboe is correct. Humans have taken over this world; we now live among them, not they among us. This one believes that if we do not understand them, we may destroy ourselves. Toboe's mission is neither ignoble nor fruitless. Every setting of the moon his is subject to their whims, their ideas and philosophies. You must support his mission, even though you may not fully understand it." The pack sat silent for a moment, thinking about what the flower maiden had said. It made sense, of course, and for the most part they all fest ashamed at the disgust they had felt regarding Toboe's feelings for the humans.
"Listen kid." Kiba looked down so he wouldn't have to meet Toboe's eyes. "I'm sorry about all the teasing I've done. You're the only one who really understands the situation that we're in. If you want to stay behind and continue what you're doing, I respect that and will help you however I can. Just don't expect me to like you spending too much time with them. You're still a wolf, albeit a rather scrawny one, and that means you still have your pride." Toboe grimaced but let it go. Some progress had been made, and it was sure to only be a matter of time before they would accept his friendship with Kit. For now, however, he would continue to keep that friendship secret until he was certain of the way that the news would be received.
When Kit had told Toboe that he lived in the southern part of town, he had only been telling the partial truth. The southern part of the city was divided into three sections; the wealthy, the well off, and the abject poor. It was in this third section that Kit made his home. At one time, he probably could have afforded to move to one of the better neighborhoods, but since his younger brother had fallen deathly ill, the hospital bills tended to take the vast majority of his funds. Even with the income that the earned from his two jobs, he was barely able to pay his rent, tuition, and the bills. Most nights, he went to bed hungry.
In the afternoons, after school, he served tables at the sort of dive bar that was typical for the ghetto. It earned his a fair sum, but not nearly enough to qualify him for medical benefits. Not that it mattered, though, since the medical benefits that the establishment offered weren't worth shit. After he finished work at the bar, he went to his second job, which, while paying far better than the first, was far from worth it. After providing various forms of 'companionship' to the wealthy, he returned home, finished his homework, and went to bed.
The sort of companionship that he offered was highly sought after in his city. The upper crust of society migrated to the city ceaselessly, visiting friends and relatives. Not a night went by that he wasn't keeping the bed of someone rich or famous warm, and he hated himself for it. He reasoned that he only did what he did because he needed the money and it paid the bills, but it never made him feel any better. His 'skills' were in high demand, however, for there weren't many boys his age who were willing to sell themselves in the way he did. If you came to Kit, he would show you a very good time, for a price, and the prices where high.
He didn't intend to work tonight, however. He was going to spend the night as his brother's side. Kit didn't go home; instead, he went straight to the city hospital. The receptionist greeted him wait a warm smile, most people at the hospital knew him and his situation, and all felt badly for him. He returned the smile and walked past, no need to ask where his brother was, it was always ward three, ICU; the hopeless cases. His brother lay exactly as he had left him last time, surrounded by wires and tubes, monitors and beeping machines. The nurse that was giving him the checkup smiled sadly at Kit and answered his familiar question before he could ask. No change. Now familiar with each machine in the room, he checked them with painstaking care, confirming what he already knew to be true. Indeed, there was no change. Kit sat down sadly beside the bed and relaxed, listening to the beeps and sighs from the machines all around.
Oh Lin. Why aren't you better yet? It's been almost three months since you got sick, and nothing that the doctors do seems to help. Every day that you spend here you miss a little more of your life. You don't get well soon and none of your friends will remember you! I miss you so much. We used to have such good times together. He smiled sadly. Remember that one time that we had a picnic in the park and you got stung by the bee? Your face must have been three times its normal size. I was laughing so hard that I could barely breathe, so you pushed me into the lake. He grinned. Hurry up and get better. I don't want to have to live like this anymore… I can't live like this anymore. He lowered his head into his arms and released all the powerful emotion that he had held inside for so long. His body shook as he sobbed into his arms, as for the first time in so long he felt truly empty and helpless, alone and hurting.
The young doctor who had been placed in charge of Kit's brother stood in the doorway, giving Kit his privacy. His job was terrible. He had to suffer through scenes like this one every day. He shuffled his charts to announce his presence, and when Kit didn't look up, cleared his throat. Kit raised his tear streaked face and looked over at him.
The doctor approached him carefully and explained that a new and untested operation could possible bring his brother back. He cautioned that it had not been tested, and would be extremely dangerous, but Kit didn't care. For the first time, he felt as though there might be hope.
Disgusted with himself for having to bring it up, the doctor presented him with the proper release forms for the insurance company, and then smiled at Kit.
"We'll do our best," he said. He left Kit holding his brother's hand, hopeful for the first time in years.
Now, all he had to do was find a way to pay for the operation. It was far out of his price range. He sighed and resigned himself to just a few more weeks of work.
"You see?" he asked his brother. "This operation will make you completely better, and then we can move away and go someplace where we can start over. You'll see. We'll live happily ever after, just like the people in those books you love reading so much."
There. By the way, this fic isn't exactly AU, but it won't follow the majority of the plotline. While there are wolves, the world is for the most part like it is at the end of the series. Just a note that I thought I should add.
